PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Health Ministry has given family members of Kim Jong Nam "two to three weeks" to claim the body from the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) mortuary.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said on Monday (March 13) if the body is not claimed by then, the government will have to decide what to do next.

"We know that he has a wife and children. Now that the body has been positively identified, we hope they will respond and come forward to claim the body.

"In the absence of that, we will have to address it as a government, through the Prime Minister's Department, Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Health Ministry, and collectively come up with a decision on the way forward," he told reporters after opening the Minister of Health Innovation and Research Award 2016 Ceremony here.

"We hope this can be resolved in two to three weeks," he added when asked of the time frame given to the family to collect the body.

The body has been released to the Health Ministry for further action.

Police have positively identified the victim as Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 on Feb 13.

Two foreign women have been charged with the murder.